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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →NASA’s lithium-fed magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) thruster reached a peak of 120 kilowatts in a February 2026 ground test—a U.S. electric-propulsion power milestone, but not a demonstration of a Mars-ready engine. Although the headline calls it an ion thruster, NASA identifies this prototype as an MPD thruster. The test established power, not a measured thrust, efficiency, or crewed-mission capability.
What record did NASA’s new thruster set?
NASA reported that the prototype reached 120 kilowatts during a test on February 24, 2026, at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Electric Propulsion Lab. NASA characterized it as the first time an electric propulsion system in the United States had operated at this high a power level. The result is a power milestone, not a record for thrust or speed. NASA’s announcement gives the test details.
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NASA says the peak power was more than 25 times that of the electric thrusters on its Psyche spacecraft. The comparison concerns thruster power: Psyche’s solar-electric hardware is operating in space, while the lithium-fed MPD prototype was fired on the ground in a vacuum test facility.
NASA reported five ignitions during the test. The tungsten central electrode reached over 5,000°F (2,800°C), illustrating a key obstacle to scaling the system: components must endure extreme heat for far longer than a brief test.
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What is a magnetoplasmadynamic thruster?
An MPD thruster uses lithium metal vapor as propellant. High electrical currents interact with a magnetic field to accelerate lithium plasma electromagnetically. This makes it an electric propulsion system, but it is not the same architecture as a Hall-effect or gridded-ion thruster. NASA’s references explain solar electric propulsion and the distinct approaches used in Hall-effect and gridded-ion propulsion.
Electric propulsion generally produces low, continuous thrust that builds spacecraft speed over time. The 120-kilowatt figure is electrical power reported for the test; it cannot by itself establish thrust, thrust-to-power, exhaust velocity, specific impulse, efficiency, or trip time. NASA’s announcement does not report those performance values for this MPD prototype.
Could this thruster take humans to Mars?
It is a possible technology for future Mars missions, not an engine ready to carry astronauts. NASA says MPD thrusters have never flown operationally and need substantial development. A Mars application would also require a nuclear power source, because the contemplated system needs far more electrical power than this prototype has yet demonstrated at thruster scale.
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NASA’s planning figures show the size of the gap: the team aims to reach 500 kilowatts to 1 megawatt per thruster in coming years, while a human Mars mission might need 2 to 4 megawatts of power and more than 23,000 hours of thruster operation. Those are targets and mission-level estimates, not achieved test results; multiple thrusters would be needed. NASA describes the potential benefit of a developed MPD-and-nuclear system as lower launch mass and support for the payloads a crewed mission would require. NASA’s mission context and estimates are planning-level figures, not a selected mission design.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What still has to be proven?
- Thermal endurance: NASA identifies showing that components can withstand heat over many hours as a central challenge. Five ignitions and a high electrode temperature do not demonstrate the long-duration operation a Mars mission would require.
- Higher power: The 500-kilowatt-to-1-megawatt-per-thruster range is a future team target, not a result from the 120-kilowatt test.
- Power generation: The contemplated Mars system depends on nuclear power paired with the thrusters; the ground test did not demonstrate that complete system.
- Flight readiness: JPL says much more development is needed before the technology can be used in space. The sources do not establish a crewed flight, a selected Mars mission, or an operational schedule. JPL’s test video and transcript describe the development still required.
Who is developing the prototype?
JPL leads the work with Princeton University and NASA Glenn Research Center. NASA’s Space Nuclear Propulsion project funds it; that project is based at Marshall Space Flight Center within NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. JPL senior research scientist James Polk said the test reached the targeted power levels and provided a testbed for addressing the challenges of scaling up. JPL’s report includes Polk’s comments.
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